Apparatus for hardening treads of car-wheels.



PATENTED MAY .19, 1903. 7

T. MITCHELL. APPARATUS FOR HARDENING TREADS 0F GAR WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE. 20, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

i WITNESSES;

' dyQZENTOR:

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' UNITED STATEs.

Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS MIToHELL, or CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO DANIEL EAGAN, orPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR HARDENING TREADS OF CAR-WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,272, dated May 19,1903.

Application filed lune 20, 1902- Serial Nit 112.425. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it, may concern.-

Be it known that I, THoMAs MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chester, in the county of Delaware, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus. for Hardening the Treads of Oar-Wheels,of which the followingis a specification. This invention relates to the production of caststeel car wheels, and it has for its object the provision of novel,simple, inexpensive, and efficient means, by which such wheels may beoperated upon tobring the metal of their treads to any desired degree ofhardness.

In the accompanying drawings I illustrate an apparatus embodying a goodform of my invention. Variations inform may, of'course, be made withoutdeparture from the spirit of my invention.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation,.partly in section, of an apparatusembodying a good form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

same as that of a wheel to be operated up on,-T.

and an axial depending stem, which extends through a pair of sleeves I),carried on any suitable supports 0, and with respect to which sleevessaid stem, with its supporting plate, is free for revolution. Suchrevolution may be conveniently imparted to the carrier by providing thelower end of the stem with a driven bevel gear 01, engaging with adriving bevel gear 6, supposed connected withany I rotate. The temperingfluid under pressure convenient source or power.

revolution, in a floor or platform f, the upper face of the supportingplate being conveniently flush with that. of the floor or platform;

A depending annular 'lipg is arranged at the'edge of the opening in theplatform f.

I h is an annular wall, conveniently located in apositiou in. which itis concentric with respect to the carrier, upon said floor said from itin jets, and plays against the rotating wall having an inwardlyextending lip 2' ar- 51o having an inwardly facing endless opening,

which opening is of breadth approximately equal to the thickness of acarrwheel at its rim, the arrangement being such that the rim of a carwheel placed upon the rotatable carrier will face said opening, and withthe marginal portion of the supporting plate of the rotatable carrier,very nearly close it.

If desired, said annular hood-like boxing maybe strengthened by theannular braces as shown in Figure 1.

7c is a supply pipe assumed to be in communication with a source ofsupply of tempering fluid, under pressure, which pipe extends through asuitable opening to the interior of the annular hood-like boxing, where.itis in communication with-an annular tubular distributor m, the innerface ofwhich is provided with a large number of small escape openings. i

As w ill beunderstoodfrom a contemplation. of the structure illustrated,the tempering fluid, entering the distributor through the supply pipeunder pressure, will emerge 80 through said escape openings in a greatnumber of small jets directed toward the rim or "tread of the wheel n.

'listurned on through the supply pipe is, and thereupon, entering thedistributer, escapes wheel. The arrangement is preferably such that thesaid fluid escapes from the distributer more rapidly thanit escapesthrough the ,crevices o and p, and consequently it accumula tes in thehood, forming an expansive cushion therein, which presents against therim or thread of the Wheel.

As will be understood, the arrangement of the jet openings of thedistributer throughout the inner circumferential face of the latteroccasions a practically uniform distribution with respect to the face ofthe wheel rim of the tempering or hardening fluid entering through thesupply pipe 70. When rotative movement of the wheel (in the specialembodiment of my invention illustrated) occurs,

For ordinary purposes a tempering fluid atatmospheric temperatures maybe charged to the distributer, but, if desired, such fluid may bereduced to a temperature lower than that of the atmosphere and chargedthereto for the purpose of accelerating or increasing the efiectivenessof the operation.

The improvement in the art or process of applying the air to the rims ortreads of car wheels, involved in the use of the apparatus herein setforth, forms the subject of an application executed by mecontemporaneously herewith, and filed as Serial No. 112,424.

It is, of course, to be understood that when the air is employed, itneed not be perfectly dry, but may be more or less saturated with anysuitable liquid such as water or oil,or with such air may be commingledany ingredient which may be found useful for the purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a tempering orhardening apparatus for car wheels, in combination, means for supportinga car wheel, a hood-like boxing or casing arranged in adjacency to suchwheel, and having an elongated opening facing the tread of said wheel,means for discharging a series of jets of tempering fluid within saidhood-like boxing, and means for occasioning the rotation of said wheelduring such discharge, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for hardening the treads of car wheels, incombination, means for supporting and rotating a wheel, an annularhood-like boxing having an elongated opening arranged to face the rim ofa wheel supported by the said means, the arrangement of said boxingbeing such that said opening is practically closed by the marginalportions of a wheel supported as stated, and means for supplyingtempering or hardening fluid at a series of independent points to theinterior of said boxing, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus for tempering or hardening the treads of cast steelcar wheels, in combination, a rotatable carrier, means for occasioningthe rotation of said carrier,an annular boxing having an elongatedopening confronted and practically closed by a wheel placed on saidcarrier, a circumferentially extending distributer arranged within saidboxing and having a large number of escape openings, and means forsupplying tempering or hardening fluid to said distributer,substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with a rotatable carrier having a circular supportingplate, a floor or fixture having an opening in which said carrier fits,a fixed annular Wall arranged on said floor and having an inwardlyprojecting lip, a fluid distributer arranged between said lip and saidfloor and embodying a series of independent escape openings,'and meansfor supplying tempering or hardening fluid to said distributer,substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a carrier having a circular supporting plate,means for rotating said carrier, a floor or fixture having an opening inwhich said plate fits, an annular wall rising from said floorand havingan inwardly projecting lip, the margin of which lip is so arranged as tobe in close proximity to the rim of a Wheel mounted on said carrier, andmeans for supplying tempering fluid to the space below said lip.

6. In an apparatus for hardening the rims 5 of cast steel car wheels, acarrier, adapted to support a Wheel, means for rotating said carrier, ahood-like annular boxing having an elongated opening on its inner face,which opening is confronted by a wheel on said carrier, a distributerhaving a series of small openings arranged to discharge within saidboxing and against the rim of a wheel mounted on the carrier, and asupply pipe in communication with said distributer, substantially as setforth.

7. In a tempering or hardening apparatus for car wheels, in combination,means for supporting a car wheel, a casing arranged adjacent to thetread of said wheel and having an elongated opening facing said tread,means for causing the rotation of one of said elements relatively to theother, and means for discharging a series of jets of tempering fluidwithin said casing, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a tempering or hardening apparatus for car wheels, in combination,means for supporting a car wheel, a boxing device arranged concentric tosuch wheel in proximity to the tread thereof, and having an openingfacing said tread, means for causing the rotation of one of saidelements relatively to the other, and means for discharging a series ofjets of tempering fluid within said boxing device, for the purpose setforth.

9. In a tempering or hardening apparatus for car wheels, in combination,asupport for a car wheel, a boxing or casing extending circumferentiallyof the rim of a wheel in position on said support, and open as to itsregion ICC my invention I have hereunto signed my name this 12th day ofJune, A. D. 1902.

THOMAS MITCHELL.

In presence of 'THos. K. LANCASTER, S. SALOME BRQOKE.

